Biomaterials have been used in a variety of medical applications, including joint repair and replacement; periodontal reconstruction; repair or replacement of injured, diseased or malformed bones and tissues; wound healing; and the treatment of burns and diabetic ulcers. Extracellular matrix (ECM) materials, including those derived from submucosa and other tissues, are known tissue graft materials used in these medical applications. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,902,508, 4,956,178, 5,281,422, 5,372,821, 5,554,389, 6,099,567, and 6,206,931. These materials typically are derived from a variety of biological sources including, for example, small intestine, stomach, urinary bladder, skin, pericardium, dura mater, fascia, and the like.
Submucosa and other ECM-based materials have been shown to include a variety of components other than collagen that can contribute to the bioactivity of the materials and to their value in medical grafting and other uses. As examples, ECM materials can include growth factors, cell adhesion proteins, proteoglycans, nucleic acids, and lipids. Depending on the needs for their use, ECM materials may be subjected to various manipulations in their manufacture, which can deplete an ECM of these components and alter its physical properties, including integrity and strength. Ideally, an ECM-based medical device should have sufficient integrity and strength to facilitate stable engraftment via suturing to suitable supporting structures that are designed to reduce the risk of inappropriate device migration in a body. Given that manipulation of ECM-based materials may result in a spongy material that is difficult to suture or attach to supporting structures, there is a need for improved ECM-based materials and medical products, as well as methods for preparing and using the same.